Teaching Devices: Reading the Word

In a video age, young people have become more and more reluctant readers.  The causes are myriad, but there are solutions to help church school teachers in engaging their students with the written word.  The goal, of course, is increased understanding and comprehension of both scripture and story.  As teachers work with church school students, no matter what level, it is easy to discern who struggles when reading aloud.  Also, some students just do not seem to comprehend what is read in class, thus making discussions difficult.  Time constraints and little or no experience as a reading specialist can leave church school teachers in a quandary. 

A few strategies can equip a teacher with methods of comprehension leading to real learning.  As you read through these strategies, it is quite possible your students will be familiar with them.  A gentle reminder may be all that is needed.  These strategies are divided in to three areas of pre-reading strategies, during reading strategies, and comprehension strategies.  These work for all levels of readers.

Pre-Reading Strategies

Strategies which encourage students to want to read the text:

• Skim and Scan new information - To skim is to read titles, headings, and key words to get a general idea of what a selection is about.  To scan is to look quickly for specific words to locate facts or to answer questions.
• KWL Charts - Before a lesson is taught it is important to learn what knowledge or experiences the students possess about the topic to be taught.  The KWL chart is a graphic organizer or a chart that is in three columns used to determine this information.  The K is "what do the students know already?"  The W is "what do the students want to know or what do you want to teach them?"   The W can also be used to motivate or interest students in the topic to be taught.  The L is completed at the end of the lesson to indicate "what has been learned?"  It is good to aim for three things in each column.

• Prediction - for younger children, this can be done by showing pictures to give meaning and predict what will happen.  Prediction can be based on the title of the lesson or parable.  It can also be used while reading or telling a story to predict how it will end.  This strategy really helps students think.

During Reading Strategies

During Reading Strategies which engage students in the text:

• Read-Aloud - One cannot stress too much the importance of the read-aloud for all levels.  Children and adults love to be read to.  When a teacher reads to students, it is a great way for a teacher to model fluency.  A teacher can make the story interesting by reading with inflection, showing pictures (especially to younger children), and asking questions which hold students' interest. 
• Picture Walk - This tool is wonderful for engaging younger students and motivating them.  By previewing and discussing three or four illustrations or icons, children are able to form an idea of what the story or lesson is about.  This helps them to track the story.
• Choral Reading - This strategy can be done as a group or with reading partners.  Everyone reads the words at the same time.  This also models fluency and helps students with difficult pronunciation.  Choral reading creates interaction and helps to keep students engaged.  Again, younger students are very responsive to this strategy.

• Say Something - This is an excellent reading strategy used with the Read-aloud.  The teacher pauses at critical times, and at first asks the students questions that evoke critical thought about the text.  Often, a teacher will pause and simply say, "Say Something" with is a cue for the children to respond with text-to-self connections, such as "The Pharisee reminds me of my cousin who brags a lot."  This strategy is about making connections or talking about characters in a parable, or maybe asking questions about parts that are difficult to understand.  Be careful not to pause too often or it will break up the flow of the story.

Comprehension Strategies

Comprehension Strategies which can be done after reading a text:

• Graphic Organizers - It is important to try various ways to reach individual students, especially those students who are visual learners.  For them, graphic representation of text can clarify the subject or topic being learned.  Story maps and Venn diagrams help students make sense of stories.  With story maps, the students identify the important elements of a tale.  These charts list setting (time and place), characters, problem, steps to solving the problem, turning point or resolution, and the outcome or ending.  Venn Diagrams are great ways for comparing and contrasting, as they are two overlapping circles with the outer parts a place to record the differences and the inner, overlapping part of the circles a space for the similarities.
• Fix-up Strategies - As students read, if they get stuck, encourage them to use the following "fix-up" strategies:
  • Think about the picture and what was discussed prior to reading
  • Say the beginning of the word
  • Re-read the word
  • Find the chunks (syllables) such as mer-cy
  • Ask yourself - Does it make sense?  Does it sound right?  Does it look right?
• Word Walls - this is good reinforcement for elementary and middle levels of classrooms, but can also be used for secondary levels.  Some of the uses of word walls can be reinforcement of difficult words.  Students can look at spelling of certain words if they are writing in journals, and word walls can help students to decode similar or like words in the text.  The word wall should be constantly evolving and changing by putting up new words.
• Four-Square Vocabulary - For older students, words walls could include a four-square vocabulary sheets.  Divide a page into four parts.  One part has the part of speech and background of an unusual word; the next has synonyms and antonyms.  The third square is the definition and the fourth is an illustration, symbol, logo or icon.  It is particularly useful to assign different new words to individual students to look up, using the back of the Orthodox Study Bible or dictionaries.  Students really enjoy drawing the words.  Think of a term like "chrismation" which could be used in the four-square approach.

The key to using these strategies is to remember that a teacher cannot do them all.  Find what works for you and with your particular group of students, but also include variety.  Using literacy strategies will help your students to become excited about the text which then becomes more relevant to them and their world.  When comprehension is enhanced, students take ownership of the text.  How exciting if after using these strategies, the next time the story of the Publican and the Pharisee is read in church, the student recognizes the parable as familiar text!  Then, students embrace the meaning of the scripture at a higher level.